Present adjustable height mechanisms for dishwasher racks generally use a screw type of adjustment which can be somewhat slow and cumbersome for larger adjustments in height. Moreover, the adjustable height assembly must be physically fastened or attached by screws or like fasteners to the rack, which takes some time and care in installation. Also, present mechanisms require the use of two different assemblies, one configured for each side of the rack. Thus, installers are required to maintain a supply of both left-hand and right-hand adjustable height assemblies and properly select and install one of each on each dishwasher rack in the assembly process. Moreover, this requires that both types of assemblies and their constituent parts be inventoried and handled separately. This may also require separate inventorying and handling of two sets of subassembly parts for the respective height adjustment assemblies and the proper assembly of each prior to assembly of the completed adjustment mechanisms with respective right-hand and left-hand sides of the dishwasher rack. One commonly used approach employs a T-bracket and lever system that allows for no more than 1 inch of vertical adjustment for the upper rack. Typical vertical adjustment systems that use a lever system have a 1:1 ratio between the vertical displacement of the upper rack and T-bracket movement.
Existing rack systems allow for at most a 10-inch plate to fit in the upper rack. The upper rack can only be displaced up to 1 inch, which only allows for a 10-inch plate to fit on the rack. Thus, there is a need for a lever-actuated vertical adjustment system which is used on both the left and right sides of the upper rails and allows for more vertical rack displacement than existing lever-actuated systems, such as allowing for a 3-inch vertical rack displacement which allows the consumer to place a 12-inch plate in the upper rack.
Existing rack systems allow tall items (i.e., greater than approximately 13 inches) to be loaded vertically on a side of bottom rack by requiring removal of entire upper rack, and allow loading of the tall items by possibly obstructing the intended free-sliding motion in and out of the upper rack system. Thus, there is also a need for a foldaway upper rack portion which allows a portion of the upper rack to be rotated so that tall items can be placed in the bottom rack and a portion of the upper rack to remain in place and still be used.